


Hot Keys

by bushidobunny



Category: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TV 2003), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - All Media Types
Genre: Ladyhawke spoilers, M/M, World of Warcraft: Legion, tcest
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-30
Updated: 2018-01-30
Packaged: 2019-03-11 12:47:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,234
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13524579
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bushidobunny/pseuds/bushidobunny
Summary: The whisper is a little off from how it appears in the game. But I figured that with the changing perspective it could get confusing doing the "To [character name] :" instead of just listing who the poster is. So, apologies for that minor thing.Ariawindsong is available to play WoW with in the Emerald Dream server.





	Hot Keys

He grinned at the screen as his fingers flew across his keyboard, tapping the hot keys he had set up. Spells soared through the air in graceful arcs from not only his avatar, but of those from various members of their raiding party. He was playing support, his own focus aimed at healing the tanks which had charged headlong into battle. This had been his guild for the last four months, and he had found that the members were tolerable. Some of them he would even consider his friends, regardless of not knowing a single one of their real names.

Donatello had a knack for making friends online. At least, when he wanted to. It was far easier to connect with humans when he was able to hide behind his character and the blissful anonymity of the internet. None of them knew that he was a mutant that lived in the sewer and he intended to keep it that way. It was nice to pretend to be normal, even if it was just for a little while.

The battle came to a close and the turtle sat back in his worn office chair, listening intently as the spoils of battle were divvied up amongst the crew. His eyes flicked toward the corner of his screen as a private message appeared.

 

> **18:23 [Tbal] whispers : How’s my girl? You saved my ass like three times in there! What would I do without ya?**

Tbal had been one of the first people who had forged a friendship with him when he joined up. He had a killer sense of humor and always got Don’s geeky movie references. A small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth as he leaned forward. The teen shook his head as he began tapping out a quick reply.

 

> **18:24 [Ariawindsong] whispers : You would die. That seems the most likely of scenarios. Also - your girl? Since when, buster?**

That was the only problem with parading around using a female avatar. It was assumed that he, himself, was in fact female. It wasn't something he had ever bothered to correct anyone on, since he figured that it would only serve to mask his true identity even further.

Plus, part of being a mutant freak was that he was not often flirted with. Being unappealing to the masses was part of the territory. He did not _hate_ the attention, to be honest. It wasn't like he was ever going to meet any of these people anyway.

 

> **18:25 [Tbal] whispers : Since you fell for my irresistible charms. Let's face it. I am pretty damn adorable.**
> 
> **18:25 [Ariawindsong] whispers : You are really not, buddy. Mildly charming at best.**

He really was adorable. As adorable as a random person on the internet that he knew nothing about could be. For all he knew this could be a middle-aged man, living in his mother's basement who was currently licking Cheeto dust off his fingers as he typed.

But whether he liked to admit it or not, Don had become quite smitten with this kid. He was always ready with a witty comeback and his sense of humor was a bit infectious. 

 

> **18:26 [Tbal] whispers : We will see. You will fall for me even if I have to pull a John Cusack and stand outside your house blasting some Peter Gabriel. Ours is a love for the ages.**
> 
> **18:27 [Ariawindsong] whispers : You could be a smidge more original. ‘In Your Eyes’ is old hat at this point.**
> 
> **18:28 [Tbal] whispers : Fine. Aquabats. Lovers of Loving Love.**
> 
> **18:28 [Ariawindsong] whispers : *swoon* Be still my heart.**
> 
> **18:29 [Tbal] whispers : wait… Really? Didn't think that'd work!**
> 
> **18:30 [Ariawindsong] whispers : No, not really. I don't like ska.**
> 
> **18:30 [Tbal] whispers : Damn! Next time for sure, my elusive mistress.**
> 
> **18:31 [Tbal] whispers : Also I respect your opinion about Ska. But you are totes wrong. Ska is great.**
> 
> **18:32 [Ariawindsong] whispers : Whatever you need to tell yourself to cope with your shitty taste in music. Anywhos, if we are done with you trying to get into my virtual panties for today, did you still want to hit up some of those side quests you were talking about?**
> 
> **18:33 [Tbal] whispers : Yeah for sure. I got a bit of time to kill. Whatcha thinkin’?**
> 
> **18:33 [Ariawindsong] whispers : Hmmmm. Lemme check it out.**
> 
> **18:34 [Tbal] whispers : Sure thing. But you have to promise to choose a quest after.**

At this point his companion’s avatar began moving in the dance designed specifically for his race, an impersonation of Michael Jackson dancing to ‘Billie Jean’. The turtle chuckled softly and transferred a single gold piece over to the Night Elf’s account as a tip in response to the show that was put on for him before typing out a simple response.

 

> **18:36 [Ariawindsong] whispers : Dork.**
> 
> **18:37 [Tbal] whispers : You know you dig me.**
> 
> **18:38 [Ariawindsong] whispers : Maybe.**
> 
> **18:39 [Tbal] whispers : Knew it.**

Donnie had pulled up the little list of adventures they had talked about tackling together and was looking at the potential loot and XP available when disappointment came knocking at his door. Quite literally.

His eyes flashed upward as delicate knuckles rapped on his bedroom door. Don let out a sigh and called out softly, “Come in.”

The door opened, and his eldest brother moved into the open door frame. The blue masked shinobi wasted no time in pleasantries and announced immediately, “Sensei wants us all in the dojo. Pause your game.”

Donatello chuckled as he removed his oversized headphones, “It’s an online game, it doesn't pause. But consider me on my way.”

His brother nodded once and ducked out of the room. As soon as he disappeared into the hallway Don turned back to his computer, pouting as he typed.

 

> **18:42 [Ariawindsong] whispers : Change of plans. I actually need to bounce. Family stuff. How about a rain check for tomorrow?**
> 
> **18:43 [Tbal] whispers : It's a date?**
> 
> **18:43 [Ariawindsong] whispers : It's a date.**
> 
> **18:44 [Tbal] whispers : Yessss. See ya then.**

Tbal signed out just a few moments before Donatello himself had logged off the game. The young genius quickly slipped on his gear, grabbing his bo and stepping out into the hallway just after Leonardo passed once again, this time with Michelangelo in tow.

“I have been on my _best_ behavior, dude. I’ve barely even gone topside lately! Whatever this is, it totally was _not_ my fault.” the orange masked teen complained, lazily spinning a single nunchuck as he walked.

While he didn't voice it, Donatello could not help but agree with his younger brother's assessment. Mikey had been quiet lately. Not entirely, of course. But the overall level of shenanigans was down considerably.

Don also very highly doubted that _he_ would be the source of the team getting dragged into the dojo 7: 00 P.M. on a Wednesday evening. He very rarely broke the rules and when he did it was even more seldom that he got caught. But this time he could not think of a single thing he had done to warrant a family meeting. It had even been over a week since the last time he had inadvertently set something on fire.

The suspicion that they were merely victims of circumstance were confirmed as they walked into the training area. Master Splinter was sitting in a graceful lotus position with a particularly haggard and miserable looking Raphael and Casey Jones already before him. The smell of alcohol was obvious the moment they entered.

As they took their places Mikey caught Don’s eye nodding towards the pair and pantomimed guzzling from a bottle. Don almost laughed but instead brought his own hand up to his grinning mouth in a shushing gesture, not wanting the wrath of their sensei to fall on them when they were just here to receive a life lesson by proxy.

Donatello did his best to keep a thoughtful and attentive look on his face as their sensei spoke about the dangers of inebriation. Particularly being intoxicated while topside where the risk of exposing them was high. But for all his efforts, and how valuable the lesson actually was, his thoughts were far away - in Azeroth.

“What you two have done is inexcusable. You have risked the safety and welfare of our family.” Splinter’s voice was low and dangerous as he addressed the pair in front of him. His brow raised as Raph huffed and folded his arms across his chest, the alcohol serving to strip away whatever filter the turtle possessed beforehand.

“Splinter, yer blowin’ this outta proportion ‘ere. Alls we did was have a few damn drinks. We didn't blow our cover. The worst thing that happened was Jones yakking on the sidewalk. Ain't like the CIA is tromping through the sewers.” Raphael finished his statement with an amused snort, Leonardo however looked far from amused. He looked livid at the disrespectful tone Raph was taking with their master.

The blue banded shinobi had opened his mouth to say as much but fell silent as Splinter raised a paw to quell him.

“And you are lucky, Raphael, that your misadventure ended without tragedy. You are young, and you are reckless. My disappointment is stemmed from the lack of judgement shown in your choices. You have many enemies that would not hesitate to take advantage of you being in a state which you would be hard pressed to defend yourself. You could have been hurt, my son. You could have gotten Casey hurt. You seem to not realize the danger you have put yourselves in. That is what scares me about what you have done.” the old rat's voice softened as he spoke these words.

The vulnerability was lost on Raphael who had merely grown embarrassed at being called out, especially in front of the entire clan and his best friend. His face was flushed as he threw his arms open wide and shouted, “I can defend myself fine! It ain't like I forgot how ta fight!”

This was definitely enough to pull Donatello from his reverie, his mind focusing entirely on his older brother and father. It was not often that any of them shouted at Splinter, all of them possessing enough common sense to avoid that particular conflict.

Splinter narrowed his eyes as his red clad son and responded, “We shall see just how well you are able to defend yourself, my son. On your feet.”

Raphael grumbled as he ungracefully pushed himself into a standing position. Leonardo had begun to rise as well, preparing to teach his younger brother a lesson in respect. The blue masked turtle was stopped by his father's paw on his shoulder as Splinter elaborated, “Your assistance is not needed in this, Leonardo. Raphael shall be facing me.”

The color seemed to instantly drain from Raphael’s face as the rat, who was a full head shorter than he was, turned to face him.

Michelangelo slipped his shell cell off his belt, quickly opening the stopwatch app and quietly mumbling to Don, “What do ya think, ten seconds?”

Donnie had to bite down on his lower lip to stop himself from chuckling. He shook his head and replied in an equally soft whisper, “Oh no. Five seconds - tops.”

“Winner gets control of the remote tonight?” the orange masked ninja asked with a grin.

Their hushed conversation had drawn the attention of their oldest brother who was shooting them a venomous look. The genius silently mouthed the word ‘ _sorry_ ’ and when Leo’s attention shifted away from them Donnie leaned closer to Mike and responded, “You're on.”

Mikey tapped on the start button as soon as their sensei had called out, “Hajime!” His thumb hovered over the button to stop the timer as Raph rushed their sensei in an uncoordinated charge. The rat ducked to avoid a right hook and came forward, his claws flashing lightning fast to hit several pressure points before using his tail to sweep Raphael’s legs out from under him.

The turtle landed hard on his shell, his arms and legs temporarily paralyzed. Michelangelo did tap the stop button but did not say a single word. The way that their sensei spoke now, his voice devoid of any anger and instead rich with profound sadness was enough to cause each of them to become instantly mute.

“I bested you in a matter of seconds in the state you are in, Raphael. If you cannot land a single blow on me - how do you think you would do against Shredder were he the one that found you?” Their sensei sunk to his knees, releasing the paralysis and pulling the teen into a sitting position. He stayed kneeling, looking the red masked shinobi directly in his eyes as he spoke.

“This world has little love for you and your brothers. Every time you leave the safety of our home, even when you have complete clarity of mind, I know that it may be the last time that I see your face. Our enemies are ruthless. They would not think twice to hurt you if they had the opportunity. They are not the only danger to you. Our enemies are far more forgiving than a mob of humans faced with something they do not understand.

“I ask only that you keep yourself safe. Try to remember that your father is waiting at home, praying that you return to him. Remember that your brothers are here, and they depend on you. Do not risk yourself unnecessarily.” he finished by cupping his son's face with his withered paws, pressing his fur covered forehead against Raphael’s brow.

Their master rose and Raph looked upward to meet his father's gaze and quietly said, “I'm sorry, dad.”

Splinter nodded once and replied softly, “You are forgiven. As for you…” The rat then turned to the human in their midst who has so far managed to keep the attention off of him.

Jones looked up ruefully at the ninjutsu master and responded, “I am sorry too, Master Splinter. We were being dumb. I get it. It was stupid.”

“It is not my place to tell you how to live your life, Casey Jones. You are an adult and I am not your father. But know that I love you as I love my own children. To see you hurt because of recklessness would cause me immeasurable grief. You are a part of this family.” Splinter bent down to retrieve his walking stick and began to move towards the door leading into the main foyer of their lair, calling behind him as he went, “You are all dismissed.”

As he reached the threshold of the dojo he turned and added, nodding towards his youngest son, “And I do believe that Donatello won your bet, Michelangelo.”

Mikey picked up the phone, glancing at the number and laughing, “Totally did. 4.85 seconds!”

* * *

 

**-O-O-O-**

* * *

 

There was a large part of him that had wanted to forego the movie he had won the right to choose in favor of locking himself once again in his room. Possibly to see if he could salvage the chance to run through side quests with Tbal. But he had seen the other avatar log off anyway and it had been too long since he had a movie night with his younger brother.

Mikey had always been a great movie buddy. His tastes were vast when it came to the shows he enjoyed, so he was usually pretty easy to please, even if he was a bit of a snack hog.

Don chuckled as he reached for the bowl of buttery kernels of popcorn which had been placed between them on the couch, only to have his hand find empty air. He glanced over to see that the bowl had managed to migrate far closer to his brother's side during their screening of Ladyhawke.

“ _Mikey_ ,” the genius whined as he gestured lamely to the space between them where the bowl should have been, “ _Dude._ ”

The orange clad shinobi turned to look at what had his nerdy brother's bandana tails in a knot, almost instantly seeing what had happened. Rather than remedying the situation he threw his head back and whined in a playful impersonation of the other turtle’s exasperated tone, “ _Donnie_. _Don't be such a bitch about it_.”

He had always enjoyed teasing Donnie. Out of all his brothers, Don was the most willing to play along and actually appreciate his humor. At least, when he was in a good mood. His brainiac brother could be downright vicious when he wanted to be.

Tonight had been a good one though, Don had chosen one of their favorite flicks and had been heckling it all throughout. Mikey felt like he could get away with a little bit of fun at his brother's expense.

Mike took a large fist full of popcorn, tossing it in Don’s general direction as he jovially chimed, “Here ya go, bro!”

Don was taken by surprise as he was showered with the kernels, even if he should have been expecting something along those lines. The genius picked up a single piece, flicking it towards the other turtle, softly chastising in a voice that was nowhere near angry, “Seriously, Mikey?”

“You know you love me.” Mikey replied happily as he tossed some popcorn into his mouth.

“... Yeah. But don't push your luck, kid.” while his words could have been taken as harsh, the smile he wore was enough to dispel the notion that there was any actual weight behind these words. Donnie gathered up the pieces of popcorn that had come to rest on his blanket and deposited them back into the large mixing bowl beside his brother.

He scooted a bit closer to be able to share and the bowl was extended to him without any further tomfoolery. They maintained peace between them through the remainder of the film until Navarre had sunk his sword into the chest of the Bishop of Aquila and was reunited with Isabeau, their curse broken.

The youngest Hamato said goodnight to Don as his brother meandered up the stairs towards his room. Mikey made a pit stop at the kitchen, dropping the bowl into the sink and grabbing a soda out of the fridge before making his way to his own quarters.

He shut the door quietly, stretching as he made his way over to the clunky desktop that Don had put together for him all those years ago. A shake of the mouse brought his system out of power saving mode and revealed his World of Warcraft sign in screen.

Just a brief time later, in which he had completely demolished the Orange Crush he had brought with him, his Night Elf appeared suddenly in the same spot he had been in when Leo had pulled him away earlier.

A grin split across Mikey’s features as he saw his favorite name with a little green circle beside it in his friend's list. He pecked at the keyboard for a few moments before sitting back, smiling happily at the screen.

 

> **23:48 [Tbal] whispers : Fancy seeing you here, beautiful.**

Within just a few moments a response flicked to life in the conversation box:

 

> **23:49 [Ariawindsong] whispers : Hey you. I was hoping you would be online.**

 

**Author's Note:**

> The whisper is a little off from how it appears in the game. But I figured that with the changing perspective it could get confusing doing the "To [character name] :" instead of just listing who the poster is. So, apologies for that minor thing. 
> 
> Ariawindsong is available to play WoW with in the Emerald Dream server.


End file.
